WWE should push hard for a Mandy Rose return to the ring

Mandy Rose was growing into an attraction as WWE NXT Champion before her surprising release. WWE should look at making a move to bring her back, even if as a part-time star.

When fans were first introduced to Amanda Saccomanno in the 2015 season of Tough Enough, many thought that they were looking at a woman being shown favoritism due to her looks. Ms. Ma’am would prove her doubters wrong, however, by placing second in spite of not being a favorite of wrestling purists. Amanda grew to become the golden goddess known as Mandy Rose, a siren with athletic promise and a hunger to be the best. After a stint on the main roster, Rose went on to NXT to reinvent herself and win record-setting gold. Her glory would then be cut short due to her release from WWE last year due to the discovery of her FanTime account.

In the year since the company’s controversial decision, Mandy has bounced back with high-profile interviews, her own podcast, business ventures, and modeling gigs. She is also slated to appear at next month’s WrestleCade in North Carolina, which gives the notion that Rose may not be through with sports entertainment. With Mandy’s phoenix rise, one could argue that WWE should make an effort to bring the bombshell back into the fold. Let’s explore why.

Her In-Ring Acumen

After Tough Enough, Mandy had a short stint on NXT before being called up with her best friend Sonya Deville to form Absolution with Saraya (formally known as Paige). After rivalries with Trinity (FKA Naomi), Asuka, Deville, and a short-lived tag team with Ashley Sebera (FKA Dana Brooke), Rose would surprisingly return to NXT to assert a new level of dominance.

Though a number of fans felt that Rose was placed there to bump the ratings of the newly rebranded NXT 2.0, she was able to polish her in-ring acumen. Her hits were fiercer, her in-ring psychology got sharper and her move set became more adaptable. Though she had the x-factor of Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, she did not solely depend on them for her victories. Rose worked for the success she attained as one of the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champions of all time.

If Mandy made a return to WWE, she could bring all of her athletic qualities to a women’s roster that is diverse and full of passion. Just imagine the landscape of NXT if Rose attacked Roxanne Perez, the woman who defeated her for the NXT Women’s title. Or if she faced off against “The Center of the Universe” Tiffany Stratton whom fans have speculated is in the position she is now due to their aesthetic parallels. For Mandy Rose, the possibilities of dream matches are endless.

The Rise of Her Profile Since the Release

Usually, when former WWE superstars are relieved of their duties, they wait a number of days or weeks to speak out about their experiences and what the future holds for them. Mandy chose to break her silence nearly a month after her release in a big way. She chose The Tamron Hall Show, a daytime television platform that averages a million viewers a day. Rose was able to tell the story of her rise as a champion, the pain of her firing, and the benefits of her content. With this appearance, Mandy exposed herself to an audience that might not have heard her story otherwise. She then went on to further promote her restaurant DaMandyz Donutz, book fitness magazine covers, a model for Miami Swim Week, start the Power Alphas Podcast with her fiancé Tino Piscitelli, and start Amarose, a beauty and skincare line.

If WWE were to make an effort to bring Mandy back, it would have the Total Divas effect. Numbers of people who subscribe to fitness or fashion would see Rose and gravitate toward the world of wrestling due to her being there. Wrestling will always thrive when new fans are made, and Mandy’s presence would only guarantee diverse eyes on the product.

Repairing the Damage of Punishing a Woman for Having Agency Over Her Body

Mandy Sacs is a drop-dead gorgeous woman. Before she was a wrestler, Saccomanno was featured in magazines and highlighted for her powerlifting abilities.  Throughout her run in WWE, Mandy leaned into it by calling herself “God’s Greatest Creation” and proclaimed that she was better looking than all of her opponents. She even posed with the NXT Women’s and NXT UK Women’s titles covering her body after combining them at Worlds Collide 2022. Imagine owning your beauty on-screen for years, only to be punished for it later. When Rose was released, it brought forth tensions from female wrestling fans who felt that her losing her career was too harsh a punishment. It seemed that WWE was willing to let her own her beauty but on the terms of the men who run the company. That is pretty tone-deaf in a world where women’s rights over their bodies are under attack.

If Mandy returned, it could be seen as an olive branch to her and women who are seeking to be respected by the sport they love so much. In a community that has seen the likes of Chyna and Saraya get devalued for being free with their bodies, giving the former leader of Toxic Attraction another chance to thrive in WWE would be a healing salve to a painful wound. Mandy Sacs has a work ethic that surpasses any preconceived notions about her and that has led to great success. She is greatly missed and deserves another opportunity to set our hearts ablaze.